


I've Got All This Ringing in my Ears and None on my Fingers

by iforgetlikeanelephant



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, Marriage Proposal, pretty much just fluff tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-10
Updated: 2013-12-10
Packaged: 2018-01-04 07:24:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1078189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iforgetlikeanelephant/pseuds/iforgetlikeanelephant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Right,” Louis says faintly, his hands curling into anxious fists next to his side, “Harry'll say yes, he has to say yes, there's no way he'll say no.” (AKA-the two times Louis doesn't propose and the one time he doesn't mean to)</p>
            </blockquote>





	I've Got All This Ringing in my Ears and None on my Fingers

**Author's Note:**

> The title is a Fall Out Boy song because I couldn't think of a good one on my own, I'm sorry I'm unimaginative :P

##### One Year Ago

“But you're sure he'll like it?” Louis questions again for what seems to be the hundredth time. “I mean actually like it not just say 'oh yeah okay, sure Lou' but he'll genuinely say yes and be genuine about it all?” Louis runs his fingers through his hair anxiously as Niall simply stares at him. 

“Mate,” Niall starts, reaching out and grasping Louis' shoulder tightly, giving him a shake, “you could use a ring pop and day old sushi to propose and Harry'll still probably cry. Of course he's going to be genuinely genuine when he says yes!” 

Louis feels his shoulders relax a bit as Niall's words sink in, even as he questions again, “And he'll really say yes?”

“If he doesn't say yes then I'll marry ya', how about it?” Niall responds, laughing slightly at the stricken look that flutters across Louis' face, “But of course Harry's gonna say yes, ya tit.”

Louis nods, his stomach turning against him slightly as he says, “Right then, I need you to keep the rest of the boys away tonight, yeah? I want it to be just Harry and I when I ask 'im.”

“'course! I'll have Zayn and Li around for Batman, ya know those losers can't say no to The Dark Knight,” Niall responds quickly, giving Louis another quick shake before he lets go of his shoulder altogether. “I believe in you, Louis, you just have to believe in yourself is all. Harry is ridiculously in love with ya mate, and I can't see rhyme or reason why he'd ever say no,” he continues over his shoulder as he makes his way to the door, his socked feet barely making a sound on the wood as he stops just before opening the door to look over his shoulder at Louis standing in the middle of his living room looking vaguely green and only slightly less panicky than he did when he called Niall over. “You've got this, now go get ready for ya' boy, love you Louis!” he says cheerily, cracking the door open and sliding out into the hallway before Louis can try to call him back in.

“Right,” Louis says faintly, his hands curling into anxious fists next to his side, “Harry'll say yes, he has to say yes, there's no way he'll say no.” Louis keeps repeating this mantra in his head the entire time he's rushing toward the bathroom and kneeling in front of the toilet, puking out of nerves for the second time that day. “I can't do it,” he groans lowly, his forehead resting against the lid of the toilet as his fingers dig into his thighs, trying to distract his brain from the need to puke again, “Not today not ever, oh God, why did I think Harry would ever say yes?” 

Louis digs his phone out of his pocket and sends off a quick text to Liam _wana come ovr 2nite?batman and beers-bring z and ni too make it a lads night in._ Louis breathes in a deep breath, trying to relax, and then grimaces when he can smell his own vomit before standing on shaky legs to brush his teeth and grab the can of air-freshener, spraying it generously into the toilet bowl before he flushes it to hopefully mask the scent of vomit from Harry and the other boys. 

Just as soon as he finishes brushing his teeth his phone vibrates twice in quick succession, the first from Liam, a quick: _heck yea lou make sure u hve pop 4 me tho no beer plz_ , and the second from an obviously irate Niall if his _LIAM INVITED ME ROUND URS TONIGHT TO WATCH BATMAN WTF?U CAN DO THIS LOU DNT MAKE IT A LADS NIGHT_ is anything to go by. 

Louis thumbs a quick response to Liam informing him that of course they have pop for him and then sends Niall a string of poop emojis and sad faces in one text, the next reading a simple _come ovr bro lads night dnt be a twat._

When the lads finally arrive they're sprawled out on the couch and living room floor before Harry gets back from his day out with his hipster clique, Niall shooting Louis angry glares every few minutes, much to the amusement of Liam and Zayn, because an angry Niall is something like an angry puppy. Louis' just happy that he doesn't feel like he's going to puke again as Harry walks through the door all smiles and smelling of peyote and that awful cologne that Grimshaw likes to wear whenever he goes out. “Missed you, babe,” Louis says smiling as Harry collapses on top of him, Niall's glare intensifying at the soppy look on Louis' face. 

“Missed you too, hubby,” Harry jokes, Louis' stomach bottoming out at how easily Harry is able to say that when he's just spent a full day cycling between puking and contemplating throwing himself off the balcony out of nerves. 

_Soon, I'll absolutely propose soon_ , Louis thinks as he runs his fingers gently through Harry's hair and ducks down to kiss his forehead with a grin.

##### Six Months Ago

“So when're you gonna propose?” Gemma asks without preamble as she drops down onto the couch next to Louis, jostling him just enough that he nearly spills his drink. 

Louis coughs as the sip he just took sneaks down the wrong pipe, “ _Who_ I mean, _what_?” He coughs again and clears his throat before he whispers harshly, his eyes darting around the room in case Harry decides to amble in, “ _who told you_?” 

“Who d'ya think told me, genius?” Gemma laughs, reaching over to slap Louis on the back in a vague effort to help his coughing but really more as an excuse to try and knock some sense into him. “Niall o'course, now I'll ask again: when're you gonna pop the question?” She repeats, letting her hand rest on Louis' shoulder as he looks down at his hands wrapped white-knuckle tight around his glass. 

“Niall had no right,” Louis mumbles, frowning and feeling his stomach flip before he continues, “and what're you doing talking to him anyway, Harry's gonna kill him.” 

“Nah mate, Niall's just looking out for my baby brother,” Gemma says consolingly, letting her hand drop to Louis' knee instead of his shoulder and squeezing tightly. 

Louis tucks his chin down against his chest before he finally responds, “I don't know, Gemma, every time I try to ask I either chicken out or this tiny voice in my head tells me I'm an idiot for even entertaining the idea of marriage because of how obnoxiously big we are. I don't feel like I can ask him to,” he pauses and looks around quickly, making sure Harry's not around before he continues, “ _marry me_ when we can't even be seen out in public together!” 

“Is being public really that big a deal to you? You two are happier than any other couple I've ever met and it's disgusting,” Gemma laughs slightly, squeezing Louis' knee and pausing until he looks up at her. “I think once you ask him you'll realize how ridiculous you're being about the whole thing, you're already practically married anyway, what harm could a ring on his finger do?” She continues, her voice dropping an octave when Harry's voice carries through their mom's house, Anne's laugh following closely behind his muffle joke. 

“I don't-I don't _know_ and I don't like not knowing how something's going to turn out before I do it!” Louis shrugs and frowns slightly when Gemma laughs out loud. 

“Hey _idiot_ , in case you didn't know you're kind of in an internationally famous boy band because you did something and didn't know how it was going to turn out,” Gemma chokes out around a giggle just as Harry and Anne walk into the room. 

“Well this looks cozy,” Harry says, sounding vaguely suspicious as Gemma squeezes Louis' knee one more time before she uses his knee to push up and off of the couch. 

Gemma snorts and says, “down boy, I was just talking to Tomlinson here about how dumb it is to not want to do something just because you don't know how it's going to turn out-something you might call an adult conversation, baby brother.”

“ _Heeyyy_ ,” Harry says, stepping around Gemma to drop to the couch and snuggle against Louis' side, making himself small enough to fit under the older man's arm, “But Gem's right, imagine if you hadn't agreed to be part of the band just because you didn't know how it was going to turn out! We'd have never gotten together and I would have lived a half life.”

Louis tucks his face against the top of Harry's head before he mumbles, just loud enough for Anne and Gemma to hear, “I knew how joining the band would turn out, you were going to be in it and you were meant to _be_ a star so obviously we were going to _reach_ the stars.”

Gemma fakes a gag as she and Anne walk into the kitchen, Harry grinning and turning his head to press a kiss to the side of Louis' neck. “I love you,” Harry whispers, quiet and secretive, against Louis' ear, “and I may be a star but you're my moon; I'd never shine as bright as I do without you by my side.” 

Louis knows now would be the perfect time to propose, to tell Harry how he's all the stars in his sky and all the waves in his ocean, how he never want to live another minute without Harry living it with him, but he doesn't. He just murmurs back, “I love you too,” and presses his nose against the crown of Harry's head, their fingers entwining tightly and resting against Harry's side.

##### Now

“Louis? Louis! Can you come here for a minute?” Harry's voice carries through the flat sounding slightly off. 

Louis barely looks away from the TV screen, the footy match that he's watching having just started getting interesting,“Give me a mo, babe, I'm almost-”

“Louis! _Now_ please!” Louis' able to hear the panic in Harry's voice this time so he pauses the game and shoots up off the couch, rushing into the bedroom and ready to face whatever insect Harry's unwilling to kill now. 

“What is it, ba-” Louis chokes on his words when he spots the small box green that Harry's holding in his hand. “Harry,” He stutters out, “did you-?” 

“I didn't open it,” Harry's voice is thin and rushed, his hands are visibly shaking, “But is it-is it what I think it is?” 

Louis wants to laugh it off, tell him that it's a gift for his mom because how would Harry know he's lying? He just said he didn't open the box but- “That, err, that depends on what you think it is,” Louis decides to go with it, Harry's already holding the box, what's the worst that could happen?

“A -uh-a ring? For me?” Harry says, sounding more like he's asking than telling but his eyes are shining and that's what does Louis in, makes him step over the threshold of their bedroom and gently grab the box from Harry's lose grip. 

Louis can't believe he's actually about to do it, he's actually about to propose, and the look in Harry's eyes is the only thing that's keeping him going, the only thing that's telling him that maybe Niall was right a year ago. Maybe Harry won't say no. Louis drops down to one knee and tries to look up at Harry with all of the love that the younger man is looking at him with, “Harry Edward Styles, I love you more than I can possibly put into words. I've loved you for three years and I want to love you for three-hundred more, I want to write you sonnets and fairytales and wake up to your dumb hair and dumber jokes for the rest of my life and I want to have kids that will repeat your dumb jokes and stick things in your dumb hair. I want to live by your side for the rest of my life and I want you to live by mine....will you do me the honor of marrying me?” 

Harry's crying, silent tears streaking down his cheeks as he nods his head repeatedly, trying to choke out an actual answer. “Y-yes, _oh my God_ , yes Louis, of course I'll marry you, I love you too” he manages after a few minutes, his voice scratchy from tears as he lowers himself to his knees as well, wanting to be at the same level as Louis as he holds out his still shaking left hand, letting Louis slip the delicate silver band on his ring finger. Harry looks at the ring on his finger for a few seconds before taking Louis' face between his hands and kissing him, their lips meeting gently as Louis finally lets himself cry, tears streaming down his own cheeks even as they separate and grin at each other. “How long were you planning on this?” Harry asks, genuinely curious before he leans in to kiss Louis again. 

“Erm, I've had the ring for about a year,” Louis responds, his voice cracking as he shakes his head and laughs at himself while Harry tilts his head slightly, “I was going to propose right after I picked it up but I was so nervous that I just kept puking and I couldn't do it, so it's been hiding in my sock drawer ever since.” 

“Louis,” Harry starts fondly, “You had to have known what my answer was going to be!”

Louis tucks his face against Harry's shoulder and wraps his arms tightly around his waist, hugging him for a second before he mumbles, “Niall told me I could propose with a ring pop and you'd say yes but I was just so nervous that I couldn't do it. I didn't want to propose and have you say no just because we can't go out in public together and I have to be seen with El after any time we so much as _look_ at each other in public.” 

Harry holds Louis tightly and says, “I love you, of course I'd say yes, and ya know what? Publicity is overrated, I like that it's just us in our relationship and not us _plus_ the whole world that feels entitled to us.” 

Louis can't stop himself from smiling against Harry's shoulder as he says, “Gemma implied something like that when she asked me when I was going to pop the question but it's nice to hear it straight from the source.” 

“Gem knew?!?” Harry cries, trying to sound hurt but only managing to sound pleased, “when did she find out?!?” 

“...about six months ago, when she told me to stop being unsure about things I don't know the outcome of, Niall apparently spilled the beans. You should stop that while you can, by the way,” Louis responds, as Harry pulls away slightly, looking at Louis with an almost confused smile. 

“Niall and Gem? I don't think so! But now it all makes sense, that whole conversation you two were having,” Harry says leaning in to press a quick kiss to Louis' cheek before he stands up, his knees cracking as he stands up and offers a hand to Louis, helping him up as well. 

Louis makes a face as he clambers to his feet, his bad knee stinging slightly with pain as he straightens his legs. “Sorry it took me so long to do this, I just-I wasn't mentally ready I don't think,” he apologizes, stretching up slightly to kiss Harry again as he grabs his left hand, rubbing his thumb over the tiny diamonds embedded in the silver band as Harry smiles against his mouth. 

“Hi fiancé,” Harry mumbles against Louis' mouth before dragging his lips over to Louis' cheek and leaving a wet kiss there. 

“Hi future husband,” Louis returns, his grin wide as Harry finally gives in and grabs him around the waist, twirling him around in place once as they both laugh before letting Louis' feet hit the ground again as they press their mouths together in a sweet kiss.

“So, I hear engagement sex is pretty awesome,” Harry mumbles as he slowly pulls away, his hands slipping down to grope Louis' ass teasingly. 

“I hear saying 'engagement sex is awesome' is guaranteed to not get you engagement sex,” Louis laughs, letting himself be pushed back toward the bed anyway, the both of them giggling when Louis lands with a huff on his back in the middle of their bed, Harry crawling over his sprawled body with a grin as he straddles his hips. 

“'m gonna jack you off with my engagement ring on,” Harry promises, lifting his left hand above Louis' face and wiggling the shining ring in front of his face before continuing, “and then we're gonna go online and shop for your matching ring because I _refuse_ to be the only one wearing a ring.”

Louis groans slightly at the visual and says, “sounds like a plan, babe,” his hips working up against Harry's ass as he rests his hands against the bed on either side of Louis' head, Louis moving his head to catch sight of the engagement ring on Harry's hand again. “I love you,” Louis says genuinely, smiling as Harry shifts his hips against Louis' and lets out a small groan. 

“I love you too, ya big softy,” Harry grins ducking down to kiss Louis' throat before he shifts down the bed and tugs Louis' sweats and pants down, working his left hand around Louis as promised.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I know, no smut, what a shocker! 
> 
> ....I'm actually nervous about posting this, which is new for me, so I hope you guys enjoy!


End file.
